NBC, ‘The Shield’ lead Television Critics Association nominations

The Television Critics Association has announced the nominees for the 2009 TCA Awards, with the final season of FX’s “The Shield” leading the way with four nods.

“The Shield” snagged nominations for Program of the Year, Outstanding Drama, the TCA Heritage Award and for Walton Goggins for Individual Achievement in Drama. Although “The Shield” has never won a series TCA Award, star Michael Chiklis won for Individual Achievement in Drama in 2001-02.

While critics may take pleasure in maligning various NBC programming decisions, no network earned more than NBC’s 11 nominations, with “30 Rock,” “The Office” and “Saturday Night Live” all earning recognition in multiple categories.

As usual, it was a fine year for HBO, which earned three of the five nominations in the Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Mini-Series and Specials category for “Generation Kill,” “Grey Gardens” and “Taking Chance” and two of the five for Outstanding New Program of the Year for “True Blood” and “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.” That being said, HBO failed to earn a series nomination in the drama or comedy categories, nor for Program of the Year or the Heritage Award, which is either a first or else a decided rarity.

AMC also has reasons to be pleased, with “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” both earning nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Drama, with stars Bryan Cranston and Jon Hamm taking nominations for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Drama. “Mad Men” also has a chance to repeat last year’s TCA Awards win for Program of the Year, where it will battle “The Shield,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Lost” and “Battlestar Galactica.”

Though the nominees are not listed, the TCA will also present a Career Achievement Award at the ceremony.

Voting for the 25th annual TCA Awards, honoring the finest work of the 2008-09 TV season, will be conducted by the group’s 200-plus member critics and journalists (including this writer). The winners will be announced August 1st at The Langham, Huntington Hotel and Spa in Pasadena, California.